EU chief seeks sanctions on Russian LNG to pressure Moscow over Ukraine war

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has presented a 19th bundle of sanctions connected Russia, urging members of the European Union to follow caller sanctions connected Russia’s exports of liquefied earthy state (LNG) successful an effort to propulsion Moscow to extremity its “brutal” warfare successful Ukraine.

“Russia’s warfare system is sustained by revenues from fossil fuels,” von der Leyen said connected Friday. “We privation to chopped these revenues. So we are banning imports of Russian LNG into European markets.”

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The sanctions indispensable beryllium endorsed by each 27 EU subordinate countries earlier they tin participate into force.

“It is clip to crook disconnected the tap,” von der Leyen said, calling connected members to rapidly endorse the move.

“We privation Russia to permission the battlefield and travel to the dialog table, and this is the mode to springiness bid a existent chance,” she added.

Russia is showing the afloat grade of its contempt for diplomacy and planetary law.

So we're expanding the pressure.

With our 19th bundle of sanctions covering energy, fiscal services and commercialized restrictions ↓ https://t.co/uW7HuZp3br

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 19, 2025

EU sanctions person already targeted much than 2,500 entities, including banks, ministries, vigor companies and officials.

Those being sanctioned see President Vladimir Putin, his adjacent associates, dozens of Russian lawmakers and respective oligarchs. The measures mostly dwell of question bans and plus freezes.

Von der Leyen said the bloc’s existing sanctions are having an effect.

“Russia’s overheated warfare system is coming to its limit,” she said, pointing to persistently precocious ostentation successful the country.

The EU has truthful acold adopted 18 authorisation packages against Moscow, though reaching statement connected caller targets often takes weeks.

Russian LNG accounted for astir 16 percent of the bloc’s full imports past year, with Europe being Russia’s largest purchaser of LNG.

Hungary and Slovakia person opposed immoderate phase-out of Russian LNG, creating imaginable obstacles to further action, and they person been known to usage their veto powerfulness to summation concessions.

Moscow to ‘pay the price’

In a abstracted statement, EU overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas said the bloc was moving up a erstwhile pledge to extremity each imports of LNG earlier the extremity of 2027 by 12 months.

“Our purpose is to velocity up the phase-out of Russian liquefied earthy state by 1 Jan 2027,” she posted connected X.

“Moscow thinks it tin support its warfare going. We are making definite it pays the terms for it.”

Tearing children from their families and deporting them to re-education camps is beyond description.
We volition not fto Russia weaponize puerility itself.

We are besides going to marque is easier to authorisation individuals progressive successful the abduction and indoctrination of Ukrainian children.

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) September 19, 2025

Kallas said the bloc was besides looking to “make it easier” to authorisation individuals progressive successful abducting Ukrainian children.

Since 2022, Russia has faced planetary disapproval implicit the deportation of Ukrainian families, galore of them with children.

“Tearing children from their families and deporting them to re-education camps is beyond description,” Kallas posted connected societal media. “We volition not fto Russia weaponise puerility itself.”

UK sanctions people Georgian businessmen

Meanwhile, the UK announced sanctions connected Friday against 2 Georgian businessmen implicit their enactment for Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic 2 tankers carrying Russian oil.

“The UK has announced caller sanctions targeting Georgia-linked supporters of Putin’s amerciable warfare successful Ukraine,” the UK overseas ministry said successful a statement.

“As Russia’s warfare footing weakens, the Kremlin is progressively looking to proxies successful 3rd countries to enactment its warfare and propaganda operations, including successful Georgia,” the ministry’s connection said.

Among the individuals sanctioned are Georgian media mogul and person Levan Vasadze, whom the UK accuses of putting retired pro-Russian disinformation.

Otar Partskhaladze, erstwhile authoritative wide of Georgia and idiosyncratic London said had “extensive links to Russia,” was besides sanctioned.

In addition, 2 tankers were sanctioned for carrying Russian lipid to the Georgian larboard successful Batumi successful usurpation of Western restrictions.

“Putin’s warfare instrumentality relies connected an planetary web to dispersed lies and money this network,” Minister of State Stephen Doughty said, according to the statement.

“We’re cutting disconnected different lifeline by targeting and deterring those successful Georgia who supply enactment for Putin’s amerciable warfare successful Ukraine.”